Nirbhaya’s will to live inspiring: Docs
In the 10 days of her stay at Safdarjung Hospital, the 23-year-old gang rape victim named Nirbhaya by TOI never showed a sign of depression or hopelessness. She would express her desire to live and get back to work as soon as possible, the doctors who attended to her said on Thursday. Nirbhaya’s fighting spirit, they added, inspired them to take up all possible medical interventions and treatment modalities to help her survive.
“She suffered two cardiac arrests on Tuesday night, a day before being flown to Singapore for further treatment. Her heart functions were restored successfully by administering DC shock but the clotting of blood in the arteries left her weakly comatose. She was put on artificial life support,” said a senior doctor. He added: “She is not in a condition to undergo any surgery or transplant.”
Dr M C Misra, chief of the AIIMS trauma centre who was a part of the multi-disciplinary team of doctors attending to Nirbhaya, said on December 16, her condition was critical but she was resuscitated, stabilized, and operated on successfully.
“Three consecutive surgeries, including the removal of the gangrenous small intestine, were conducted. She was doing well and never showed any signs of depression. When she was conscious, she would ask for water or juice and express the desire to get back to work,” said Misra. Hospital sources said that the victim’s father and her brothers visited her regularly but it was her mother who spent the maximum time in the ICU ward.
“Our conversation with her was mostly need-based. For example, we would ask her about the body pain and other symptoms and based on the response treatment was given. But she was often seen talking to her mother,” said a hospital official.
Misra said that the first sign of deterioration in her health was noted on Saturday when she showed symptoms of jaundice, suggestive of sepsis, which was followed by a surgery to wash out the abdominal cavity to clear the infected fluid. He added: “After Wednesday’s cardiac arrest and paralysis caused due to blood clots, the chances of recovery have reduced further. But we are hopeful.”
Nirbhaya’s family, sources said, was not keen on taking her abroad for further treatment initially but they accepted the government decision later. “The shifting of the victim could also be a political decision to avert the backlash it could produce in the Capital where many people are protesting about lack of security for women,” said a senior doctor.
Dr B D Athani, medical superintindent of Safdarjung Hospital, said that Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, where Nirbhaya has been shifted, has a stateof-the-art facility for multiorgan transplant.
“She suffered two cardiac arrests on Tuesday night, a day before being flown to Singapore for further treatment. Her heart functions were restored successfully by administering DC shock but the clotting of blood in the arteries left her weakly comatose. She was put on artificial life support,” said a senior doctor. He added: “She is not in a condition to undergo any surgery or transplant.”
Dr M C Misra, chief of the AIIMS trauma centre who was a part of the multi-disciplinary team of doctors attending to Nirbhaya, said on December 16, her condition was critical but she was resuscitated, stabilized, and operated on successfully.
“Three consecutive surgeries, including the removal of the gangrenous small intestine, were conducted. She was doing well and never showed any signs of depression. When she was conscious, she would ask for water or juice and express the desire to get back to work,” said Misra. Hospital sources said that the victim’s father and her brothers visited her regularly but it was her mother who spent the maximum time in the ICU ward.
“Our conversation with her was mostly need-based. For example, we would ask her about the body pain and other symptoms and based on the response treatment was given. But she was often seen talking to her mother,” said a hospital official.
Misra said that the first sign of deterioration in her health was noted on Saturday when she showed symptoms of jaundice, suggestive of sepsis, which was followed by a surgery to wash out the abdominal cavity to clear the infected fluid. He added: “After Wednesday’s cardiac arrest and paralysis caused due to blood clots, the chances of recovery have reduced further. But we are hopeful.”
Nirbhaya’s family, sources said, was not keen on taking her abroad for further treatment initially but they accepted the government decision later. “The shifting of the victim could also be a political decision to avert the backlash it could produce in the Capital where many people are protesting about lack of security for women,” said a senior doctor.
Dr B D Athani, medical superintindent of Safdarjung Hospital, said that Mount Elizabeth Hospital in Singapore, where Nirbhaya has been shifted, has a stateof-the-art facility for multiorgan transplant.
